


Mugs Can Be Men

by Shotgunshellhell



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, Healing, Other, References to Depression, Self-Hatred, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-09-06 08:29:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16828843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shotgunshellhell/pseuds/Shotgunshellhell
Summary: Mugsy has felt different all her life, but she would soon figure out why.





	1. The Walk

**Author's Note:**

> Hay!! this is a small fic ive been planing on for a long time, its a Trans story about...well....just read it, NOTE THAT LATER ON IN THIS STORY THERE WILL BE DEPICTIONS OF TRANSPHOBIA.

Mugsy looked in the mirror in her room she shared with her brother Cups, She was dressed in a frilly pink dress, Brown boots, and silk gloves. She took a deep breath and sh stared deep into her own eyes inside the mirror. "...What is wrong with you..." She took a deep and long breath before sighing, then a yell could be heard. "MUGSY!! COME ON CAGNEY IS WAITING FOR US TO!! HURRY UP!!" It was her big brother (By three minuets) Cuphead. She sighed "maybe ill find out tomorrow" She then walked out to her brother, who was tapping his foot impatiently.

"goodness i know it takes awhile for girls to get dressed but maybe you need to be faster, were gonna be late!!" Cuphead said to Mugsy. "well sooorry" She giggled as they walked out. There gardian elder kettle knew were they would be that day an since he was asleep, the two decided not to bug him. As the two walked down to Cagney's garden...Mugsy looked at cuphead Turtle neck and shorts as they walked...it was like a craving to her to be in thoes clothes. Then it hit her. "...Hay Cup?" Mugsy said looking away from her brother "Yeah sis?" Mugsy stopped in her tracks and looked to Cups "...Im going to ask you to do something but please..don't tell anyone about it!!" Cups nodded, looking worried for his little sister. Mugsy took a deep breath.

"....Can you call me your brother...?" Cups seemed a bit confused "..Why?" "JUST PLEASE!!!" Mugsy said is an irritated voice, Cups jumped a bit and nodded "Okay okay!! Your...a good brother" Mugsy was stunned...when Cups called her that something clicked from inside of her. "Now come on!!" Cups said, starting to run "Cags is waiting for us!!" Mugsy watched her big brother run off...now she knew exactly what was wrong with herself.


	2. The Clothes

Mugsy had came down with a cold from there day with Cagney, She had fallen into a river close to the flowers garden and had gotten sick from how cold the water was in the spring time. She was curled up in her bed, home from school that day. It was around one o'clock in the afternoon, Cuphead was still at school and Elder Kettle had been taking his nap out in the living room. Mugsy laid in that bed for awhile, she contemplated what she could do to get rip of this crushing she felt once more inside of her. Then, she got it.

She sat up and sniffled as she looks around the room her and Cups shared. There was too beds, two closets, two sets of shoes and well..a pair of everything. Mugsy took a deep breath and got up, and walked quietly to Cupheads closet. It was full of only black turtlenecks, Red shorts and white gloves....and the odd pair Cup had tried to dye yellow. Mugsy took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of shorts and a turtleneck, and put them on, and that is when she felt whole. She looked in the long mirror she owned and smiled happily...she felt great, he felt happy....she felt whole, and then...the doorknob started to turn.

Cuphead walked in and looked at Mugsy, who was dressed in his clothes. "...Mugsy...Whats going-" Mugsy cut her brother off, tears welling in her eyes as she spoke "...I....I feel like a boy.....trapped in a girls body...." Then she started crying, knowing what happened to people who felt like this...she would be thrown in inkwell hell, she was ready to be yelled at but...instead, Cuphead embraced her in a tight hug and rubbed her back. "...Its okay....i...i dont know how to react but...ill help you feel complete like this...i promise no one will hurt you" Cups was confused but wanted his little sister to feel whole...no...not his sister, she was his brother now. Mugsy cried into cups, she was so happy...but they both knew Elder Kettle could never find out.


	3. The Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mugs and Cups come home from clothes shopping....to find what they hoped they would never see

Mugs and Cups were happily spending their birthday money on some new clothes for mugs. New Turtlenecks, Blue Shorts, New shoes, and of course, a brand new pair of wool, white gloves that looked like Cuphead's. "Thank you for this...it means the whole world to me." Mugs said, Hugging his brother "Heh, its no problem Mugman! I'm always here to help you okay? Now come on, elder kettle must have dinner ready!" Mugs nodded to his bother and start walking to the train to take them home. As the boys approached their house, they realised that the chimney wasn't bellowing any smoke and since it was night time this was weird. Elder kettle gets cold at night so the fireplace was lit after six. The two brothers looked to each other and walked inside, hiding the bags in the bushes.

"Elder kettle!!? We're back!!" The home was dark as Cuphead yelled out to there grandfather. Mugman walked over and lit the fireplace when the two realised that Elder kettle was asleep in his rocking chair. The two boys sighed and checked the kitchen but...it didn't seem like dinner had been made. "....Should we check on him?" Mugs said as he looked at Elder kettle in the chair. "...I will" Cuphead nods and walked over, shaking there grandfather. Mugman jumped as he saw Cuphead pull his hand away fast "C...cups? what's wrong?" Cuphead looked scared as he looked over to his brother "K..Kettle...he's cold as ice!"

Mugs seemed stunned, then he noticed "...H...His nose!!!! HE'S NOT BREATHING!!!" Mugs face was wet with tears as he ran towards the police station to get anyone that could help. a few hours pass and soon, mugs and cups were sitting on the porch, being told the two would be moved into an orphanage soon after elder kettle was burried. Cup, his face wet with tears looked to mugs "....Mugs....I'm scared...." Mugs looked over to his brother, not even when they had sold there souls did Cuphead say he was scared. Mugs hugged his brother and sniffled "...So am i..."


	4. The Orphanage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cups and Mugs are in a new home, what shall happen to them as there settling in? n

Mugs and Cups sat at the just buried grave of There dear guardian, Elder kettle. 'Here lie a friend, a family member and a guardian, Elder kettle 1840-1938' The grave read, it has been etched in the stone. Mug, Cup, the priest, and cuphead's close friend Puphead were at the funeral. The two were alone now, the funeral had ended an hour ago and the two of them were not ready for what waited for them at there new home. Mugs let out a soft sigh, he was dressed in a black dress, black heels and was wearing black gloves "Cups...we should go, I'm getting tired of being in this dress." Mugs started to get up, Cups looked up at him and nods, standing up. "Yeah, you are right...come on, let's grab our things from home and then head there" 

Mugs and Cups went back to the almost cleared out Elder Kettles house. Cuphead packed his clothing, his bedding, and his lucky rabbit's foot. Mugman packed up all his new clothes leaving his dresses behind (he had taken off his dress and put some of the clothes on they had bought), his bedding and a small robot that Dr. Khal gave to him. Mugs had always been into robots since he had first seen Dr. Khal and Werner wermans robots wanting to be like them. And soon the two were off to the orphanage. 

As Mugs and Cups entered, the Women sitting at the desk greeted them "Hello there you two, you both must be Cuphead and Mugsy-" "Mugman!" Cuphead said, cutting off the women. The women seemed shocked but shrugged "Alright..I'm just going what's on the papers...now you two will share a room on the third floor, its the second room 3B" The women handed the two of them a key and smiled as she went back to work. 

The two of them walked up the stairs and unlocked the door, revealing a room with a bunk bed which both bunks were empty, the room was painted a light grey and the floor was made of nice, hardwood. There were two dressers as well sitting side by side next to the beds, They did rock, paper scissors for who would see who got the biggest one. Cuphead won and the two started to settle down into there new homes. Dinner was soup with crackers and after they both finished they got ready for bed. As they lay there, Mugs on the top bunk and Cups on the bottom bunk.

"Hay Cups?"   
"Yeah Mugs?"   
"...i miss Elder kettle"  
"...Me too" 


	5. Chapter 5: The Adoption

It had been three months since elder kettle had died, since Mugman had found out about how he was truly feeling, and three months since they were put into an orphanage. Cups and Mugs were not adopted, a family had come in and only wanted Cuphead, but he refused unless Mugman came in as well, and when the family refused, he didn't go. Mugs had felt unwanted because of this but Cuphead made sure that Mugs felt wanted. 

it was a morning like any other too the two of them, Wake up, Eat breakfast and then do what they wanted...well unless they had to do school work, but since today was saturday, the two didn't have to work. The two were reading in there room until the housemaid burst into there room "Cuphead! Mugman!!" The two of them jumped, Mugs even fell off his bed. The two looked over and the housemaid smiled "There is two men who want to adopt the both of you!! They are both very rich and seemed to want both of you~" 

Mugs and Cups gasped and hugged each other, they seemed so very happy. Then Cups looked over "Who are they??" He said with a smile. The housemaid giggled "Do you want to meet them?" The two nod and start to walk down into the housemaids office.....Where The Devil sat. Cups jumped and had Mugs hide behind him, since they didn't have there magic guns, they were defenceless.

The devil stood up and sighed as he walked to the two of them, using his trident as a walking cake. "I mean you no harm, I had heard about what happened to you two and felt quite bad about this....you see, me and Dice have changed so to speak-" "LIKE HELL YOU HAVE!!!" Cuphead yelled, he was shaking, seeming scared. Devil sighed again and sniffed "Lets just get this over with okay? you will find out soon enough" He sat back down, and so did cups and mugs.

Soon the two found out about the new things he did, he had stopped owing people there souls, the casino was doing great and it had been seen that The Devil had been being kinder to his worker. Cups didn't believe it up Mugs did. Soon the housemaid talked to the two of them and Mugs started to talk to cups "Come on....we have a six month period and if we don't like it we can come back here...please...." Cups let out a soft sigh "Fine..." Mugs smiled and soon, the papers were signed and they started to pack there things. As they walked to the casino, Mugs looked to the Devil "...Wheres King Dice?" Dev chuckled "He's making dinner...and let me tell you....he looks very different..." 


End file.
